American
Indian culture has much to teach us in preventing youth violence, says
a researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Mark Mattaini,
associate professor at UIC's Jane Addams College of Social Work, has
drawn from Native American elements to create "Peace Power" - a strategy
for building non-violent communities and reducing youth violence.

Peace
Power, a unique intervention program based on behavioral science, applied
cultural analysis and Native American tradition, attacks the problem
of youth violence at the family, peer group, school and community level.
Its goal is to effect a change throughout society.

"Many
violence prevention programs primarily rely on the message, 'Don't fight,'
but fail to provide positive alternatives for youth to influence their
world or alternative sources of personal power," said Mattaini. "Peace
Power teaches and supports alternatives for youth and all those with
whom they are connected."

Based
on the principles of social learning, Peace Power has strong empirical
support for its four core strategic practices: recognizing contributions
and success, acting with respect, sharing power to build a community
and making peace. Peace Power develops alternatives for the community
and organizational cultures to avoid the use of violence, threat and
coercion.

"These
core practices are not separate and independent," said Mattaini. "They
are multiple, interwoven strands of an empowered culture of non-violent
approaches that can be adapted to a particular organization or community."

Mattaini
and his Peace Power collaborators have incorporated several elements
of Native American (particularly Pueblo) philosophy and practices into
the program's strategy after recognizing the interconnected nature of
behavior, environmental conditions and events.

"Peace
Power draws upon shared power in building collective power that goes
beyond ego," said Mattaini. "Peace Power tools and materials strongly
support acting for the collective good, rather than competitive, self-serving
and ultimately self-defeating approaches that U.S. mainstream culture
tends to foster."

Peace
Power provides training, consultation and materials that can be shaped
to construct flexible programs that fit the vision of the local community.
According to Mattaini, for the strategy to work, it is important that
everyone, both youth and adults, be immersed in these practices.

"Integral
to the success of the core practices are prompting and reinforcing actions
by teachers, parents, staff and other community members," said Mattaini.
"Within the overall strategy, each core practice does not stand alone."